Weekend Recap

   This weekend was pretty eventful. Mike wanted to take it easy on Friday night just because he needed to sleep. He had been up doing his breif for the past four day's, so he wanted to get a little decent shut eye finally. 
    Saturday, we didn't want to stay in the house all day so we took a ride to Jacksonville mall. (people watching is great there) Walked around a bought a few things that we didn't need. After that, Mike wanted to have lunch at Fire Station Subs. I had never been there before so I didn't know what to get. So many options... I ended up with the cheese steak, which was a good choice.  Dinner time, we headed to Wilmington with another couple. The Copper Penny, was the destination. Our second time there and it still did not disappoint.(parking sucks tho) We stayed there for awhile after our meal. Lots of laughing and having a good time.
    Chick-Fil-a was open on a Sunday at my house yesterday. I saw the recipe for the nuggets on Pintrest and had to give them a try. I hurried up and defrosted the chicken because lunch time was upon us. The recipe said to marinate the chicken for 2-4 hours but I of course didn't have time to do that. Also it says to use a deep fryer, and mine is in storage in Hawaii, so that wasn't a option either. So of course I wasn't trilled with the out come, but Mike didn't seem to mind.(they were all gone)
A few of the guys came over for their haircuts like normal. The Pro Bowl was on too so another couple stayed a watched the game. Mike and I were really having a fat day because dinner was pizza. Ill definitely need to start dieting or no bathing suits in Hawaii!
The good byes started last night. The couple are moving to Camp Pendleton on Wednesday. I cant believe its finally starting. These months went so fast.
    When Sheba went to vet on Thursday for her refill on her pills. I was told that they do not carry prescription and that I would have to order them over the internet and then they would be mailed to me. I ordered them as soon as I could but due to it being the weekend, they haven't come yet. So she had her last pill on Saturday, and last night I could totally tell that those pills are desperately needed! She was up all night being very vocal and pacing while bumping into everything. I ended up sleeping on the couch with her bed next to me trying to comport her. I hope those pills arrive soon, I don't know if I can do another long night like that.
   Today I am heading to take Grace out. Also Mike has a new brief that is due on Wednesday so I probably wont see him till then. I need to drop off a few things he needs. (socks, toothbrush,...) Also I'm going to try to start packing up the things that will be shipped next week.We have to pack everything that we can not carry on the plane. Living for a month without things that we are use to will be quit a bit of a change (no more coffee maker for Mike)  I cant believe it really happening.

TGIF!

   Thank goodness its Friday!  Its been such a crazy week! Mike had a brief that was really important and it was stressing him out. Even-tho it had nothing to do with me, I was feeling the pressure too. I'm just glad its over, but next week it will start again. He has one due every week from now on till he graduates.

Its been so beautiful out lately that I decided to take advantage and have a little photo session with Bolo. He didn't really what to cooperate. ( he kept turning his head)

    Sheba went to the vet yesterday. She is still weak and delusional, but she is still holing it together. She ran out of the pills that's she has been on so we needed to make an appointment in-order to get a refill.  Walking into this clinic will probably be the one and only time. It was such a weird experience. First of all it was in a plaza with a bunch of other businesses but didn't have a sign so I had know clue where it was located. I must have driven by 4-5 times before I saw a little pan-flit in the window with a picture of a dog advertising an electric fence. So I walk in and in the first second I knew the receptionist had know clue what was going on. I had filled out the "Welcome" sheet before I had even gotten there so I was prepared. (new client sheet) Written on there was the name of her breed, how old she was,  and her medical history.  I know that a Sheba Inu is not a common breed what so ever but I would at least think that she would look at the sheet that I had filled out and not ask me if she was a Husky.  Also she is 14 YEARS old, not months! Why would my dog have Alzheimer's if she was 14 months old? Once again, if she would just read the sheet that I handed her a minute ago these questions would all be answered. The doctor was nice, but different. Bright royal blue nail polish and a wrist guard with sequence's  all over it was interesting. Over all, I'm just not sure that I can go back. There was about 7 cats just roaming around the whole place. They were sweet and  friendly but Bolo would have a freaking cow if he went in there and saw them. I think Ill try another vet when it comes time for their Health Certificates. 

   Chicken Pot-Pie was finally made.  Of coarse I would do things different next time. (the whole thing didn't come out when I flipped it over.Not sure what I did wrong)

     I ran around base today and got everything prepared to ship the car. Its such a load off that I am finally  getting things taking care of. The only thing left to do is the plane tickets. I'm getting excited! Hopefully this weekend will be a good one. Mike needs a break so this came at such a good time.

Recap

  I still feel like I got run over! That's what I get for sitting out in the rain/cold on Saturday. Myself and another wifey cheered on the guys flag football game. They made it to the finals but lost the last game. It wasn't fair, but I wont go into that. (Mike was #11 in the green)


  Sunday I spent the day preparing another dinner for everyone that was coming by for the game. Manicotti, Chicken Cutlets, Pizza Rolls, Pigs n a Blanket, Salad, and Stuffed Strawberry's. Everything turned out good. I just wish I would have felt better so I could have actually enjoyed/tasted the food. Giants ended up winning, which I really didn't see.  I was in the bathroom all night with the clippers running.
   I have just come home form grocery shopping. I have a recipe that I want to try for a Chicken Pot Pie. Hopefully it will be a keeper for the future.
   We have a meeting tomorrow to get the moving process started. It still hasn't hit yet that my life is going to totally change in about a month. I need to start getting organized because I have a feeling that it going to come fast. 

Sick Day...

  I feel like crap!

Yum Again!

   I think I'm on a roll with my dinners. I have been really branching out with my ingredient's. Bang Bang Shrimp with Asian Noodles. Mike was once again impressed, and so was I!

  Sauce

• 1/2 cup mayo
• 4-5 tsp of chili garlic sauce (I stood in the isle for awhile looking for it)
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1tsp rice vinegar 

Mix everything together and refrigerate.

Batter

• 1 egg
• 1 cup milk

Place aside

• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 1/2 panko breadcrumbs
• salt & pepper
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp dried basil
• 1/4 tsp onion powder

Combine

 Clean shrimp (remove shell) Dip into breading then to egg then back to breading. Refrigerate for 20 minutes. Heat oil in frying pan. I used canola with a few splashed of sesame oil. Brown shrimp till crispy. Place into pan and drizzle sauce over. Bake for 10 min. (turn after 5)

I used Asian Noodles and added green onion, carrots, baby corn, snow peas and soy sauce. 

It was pretty good. If you like spicy then definitely try this one.

   I already told Mike we are having a chicken salad tomorrow. We've had enough fried food that will last us a wile.

   
One last picture of the day.  I think his belly wasn't feeling well today, so I cuddled him up with a blanket I had just gotten out of the dryer. Sweet boy.

Yum!

   I was going to have a wordless Wednesday today, but I changed my mind because I feel that I need to tell you about the AMAZING dinner I made tonight. :) (Thank you Pintrest) I was a little apprehensive because I feel like no one can beat a good Chinese Restaurant. The picture on the site looked so good that I just had to give it a try tho.  Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken with Fried Rice. I had told Mike earlier in the day what was for dinner and he replied, "so we will probably be going out to eat tonight?" (meaning its not going to turn out good) Well to HIS surprise, It was!!!
          
Chicken

• chicken breasts
• salt & pepper
• cornstarch
• 3 eggs beaten
• canola oil

So clean the chicken and rinse. Cut into cubes. Sprinkle a little s&p. Cover chicken in cornstarch. Then dip each piece of chicken into egg. Fry in oil on both sides in-till  light brown. Place into a lightly greased pan.
       
Sauce 

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 4 tbs ketchup
• 1/2 cup vinegar
• 1 tbs soy sauce
• 1 tsp garlic salt

Mix all the ingredients together and pour over the chicken. 325 degrees for 1 hour. Its very important that you turn/mix the chicken every 15 min.
 
  Rice

• 1 cup white rice
• 1 1/2 water

   Wash the rice really really well. (water should run clean) Bring water to a boil. Pour in rice. Turn stove on low and cover with a lid. Cook for 10 min (do not open lid!) Turn off stove and cook for an additional 15 min (do not open lid!)
 
Fried Rice

•  cooked rice
• 3 tbs sesame oil
• 1 cup peas and carrots
• 1 small onion
• 2 tsp garlic
• 2 eggs beaten
• 1/4 cup soy sauce 

Heat oil. Add peas, carrots, onion & garlic. ( I also added baby corn) Cook till soft. Move mixture to one side of the pan. Pour in eggs and scramble. Now add rice and soy sauce. Blend well. ( I would have added ham too but I didn't have any)

    Eat up!!!

    Mike was happily surprised  and so was I. This will definitely be made again. (of coarse my picture docent look as good as the one I saw)

Break is Over

    What a great 96 we had. It felt like it was a whole week long. Just being able to spend time with my husband and not be rushed to make dinner, get lunch ready for him to take with him to work, then clean up and take the dogs for their last walk of the night, because he goes to bed so early that can be a little hectic sometimes.
   Monday we tried to get Jeff Dunham tickets but gave up hope when we saw how long the line was. We arrived at the place where they were selling them 3 hours early too. By the look of tents spread out on the lawn, I'm guessing some people camped there the night before. The line was too far that we didn't even think it was worth it because the theater isn't even that big to hold everyone. So we decided to head to Wilmington instead for dinner. We met another couple at the mall and then decided where we wanted to go to eat. We ended up deciding to go to Front Street Brewery. Great decision. Everyone was really happy with what they ordered and the price was even better. With the night still being early, a movie sounded good. We all thought Contraband looked interesting, but it didn't start for another 2 hours,  so the guys had a few drinks and played pool while the lady's went shopping. Good movie! Because Mark Wahlberg was in it, made it Great!
   Today I saw Grace.(The puppy I am walking while her moms at work.) She is such a sweet dog with a ton of energy. Soon I'm going to see if Bolo gets along with her. It would just be so much easier to bring her to my house then spend time over there.  Haircuts and dinner consumed the end of our night. Back to work for Mike tomorrow. I'm glad this has been such a long relaxing break. He is soon going to be busy with a bunch of briefs that are coming up, he wont have much time to do anything else.

Weekend Overview

  First of all.. Happy Birthday to my sister..Megan. She turned 30 years old on the 13th.  Love you... :)

   Mike and I ran around the island yesterday. Our first stop was his room in the barracks. He forgot a few things (like laundry) that his wife needed to do before he had to go back work . After that I talked him into going to a Flea Market that I had heard about that was in town. (Thanks Morgan) I was specifically looking for recipe box that I could use instead of always looking on the computer/cook book every time I wanted to make something new. I found this jewelry box that I decided will now be my project. I'm going to rip it all up and make it into one. It will be a recipe box that plays music... :)  Stay tuned for how it turns out... I also found some salt and pepper shakers that I can add to my collection that I am very excited about. There was so many to choose from that I have never seen before, but I didn't want to be greedy and buy all of them because I am unemployed. Next we had lunch at a cute coffee shop in town. Next store was a pawn shop that Mike wanted to check out. Yes, he bought something that he is very excited about and tells me that it is going to be useful at work. It definitely is a man thing because I don't think it's that great. We ran around a little bit after that but nothing to exciting to talk about. Later in the day we went to a friends house to have a few drinks and watch football. Overall good day.


 I found Sheba sound asleep in my blanket. That's what I get for forgetting to pick it up off the floor while the sheets were in the wash.









                      Bolo being his cute self!

   Chicken noodle soup is on the stove. Probably just relax for the rest of the day. Tomorrow our plan is to go see Jeff Dunhum's comedy show. Hopefully we will be able to get tickets because I'm sure its going to be a mad house trying to get them.

Ready for the Weekend

   This weekend Mike has another 96. For some reason I thought it was going to be next weekend instead of this one. It was a good surprise! Not sure yet what we are going to do yet tho but hopefully something good.
   The lady's and I had a little get together for lunch today.  I once again wasn't proud of what I made except for my Strawberry Cream Cheese Bits. They were so easy and yummy that I am going to give you the recipe.
     

• Hollow out strawberry's.( I tried to get a good size hole so that there was plenty of filling in it.)
•  8oz Cream Cheese
• 1 tsp vanilla ( I used a little more because I like the flavor)
• 3 tbsp of powdered sugar
• a few gram-crackers crumbs

Mix cream cheese, vanilla and sugar really really well. Put the filling in a zip lock bag and cut the tip. Pipe into strawberry's.   Dip the end of the berry's into crumbs.

mmmm...so good!

Survey's

   I have been seeing a lot of surveys lately so I decided to jump in too.

1. Where did you and your Spouse meet?
     I cant really remember if we met in 5th or 6th grade. It was so long ago and to be honest I really didn't think anything of it then I'm sure. I know we started school together then tho because I see his cute little face in my year book!


2. How old were you when you met?
    I think I was 10 or 11


3. How long have you been together?
    In July it will be 5 years

4. Where are you and your spouse originally from?
    He was born in Cleveland, Ohio And I am originally from Tulsa, Oklahoma


5. How did you feel about him joining the military?
    Being part of a team while doing all the things that he loves... I knew it would be a perfect fit.  I was excited that he would finally have a job that he would be proud of.


6. Where did you spouse go to basic training?
     He went to Quantico, Va


7. Has your spouse ever been deployed?
    Not yet


8. Ever been to his promotion ceremony?
    Not yet. It should be in about a another year


9. How long have you been a military wife?
    We got married in April, so only 9 months so far


10. Did you marry him before or after he joined?
     I married him after


11.  How did your husband propose?
       Haha, did he? He picked out the ring, ordered it and asked my father. I signed for it when it was mailed  to my house. So romantic...


12.  Where did you get married?
        We were married in Stafford, Va  while he was at TBS.


13. How old were you when you got married?
      I was 25, he was 26


14, Did he wear his uniform on your wedding day?
       Yup, He wore his Class A's


15. Where are you and your spouse currently stationed?
       Camp Lejeune, but not for long


16. Do you live on base?
      No


17.  How long were you married before you had to go through a separation?
        Sense he was in training when we got married and was soon going to be moving, we decided to wait on me moving out there with him till the next move. So it was 6 months right when we got married that we weren't together. I visited here and there but that's it.


18. What is your favorite base so far?
       Well I have only had experience with Quantico and Camp Lejeune. I have to say I might like Quantico a tad better because it isn't so crowded.


19.  Do you think your spouse looks good in uniform?
       Umm..... YEAH!!!


20. Do you think the military life is more advanced than civilian life?
       I think it has a lot to do with brotherhood. Learning to save one another life in the middle of danger makes a bond that I don't think anyone can really relate to.  (fireman, police, military)


21. Do you like the benefits you receive as a military dependent?
      Yes it is very nice. Also when you walk into just a random store to purchase something and they offer military discounts, it is all very helpful


22. Do you have a lot of military wife friends?
      I have a handful of friends that are wives here but we are all going seperate ways to our permanent duty stations in 2 months. Ill have to start over with friends


23. What is the hardest part of the military lifestyle?
       Missing family back home


24.  Do you own a lot of military wife stuff?
      None.  I use to have a magnate on my car that says " I hart my Marine" but I took it off because I didn't want the paint to get ruined


25. Do you support your spouse as a member of the military?
      Yes, I am extremely proud of him!

Lonely Night

  Mikes on duty tonight so its just me an the pups hanging out. I brought him dinner earlier and he was swamped with tasks that had to be done. Hopefully he will get a tad of sleep before morning. 
   Today I met the pup that I'm going to be looking after for a little. Can you say A LOT of energy! She just turned 1 so I can see why, but wow. Very mouthy but sweet. Hopefully Ill be able to calm her down and run some of her craziness out.
   Sheba is doing a lot better. I highly recommend the prescription b/d food that she has been eating. She is also on the pill Anipryl for her Alzheimer's. I am just so thankful that she is getting better everyday. She is still a little wobbly but all the other weird things she was doing has stopped. I'm just still not sure about her having to fly in the next 2 months.
   I'm just gonna take it easy tonight. I'm a little excited to finally be able to have room to sleep. Mike and Bolo usually have all the room and I am curled in a ball so tonight's going to be nice to spread out. Id rather he be home tho.
  

Weekend Recap

    I cant believe today is already Monday. This weekend flew by. We had quit a busy few days so that's probably why all the days feel like they were smooshed together. Friday we got together once again at the the hole in the wall bar that we seem to gravitate to. We always seem to have such a good time every time we go there tho. That's probably why we keep going back.
   Saturday I made a big breakfast. We had a couple come over while their house was being shown to sell. We pretty much spent the whole day with them after that. Went to lunch at my favorite restaurant out here. I crave it always so I was happy when that was the final decision. Mike is not a fan of sushi so it was never really an option for dinner. But there is a restaurant out here that has Chinese food / Sushi so its the best of both worlds. Even tho I don't eat raw sushi I still can get enough of the cooked. We also took Bolo to the beach. It was such a beautiful day out that we just had to take advantage. Later we went back to their place to watch some football and have a soak in the hot tub. We ended up staying a lot later after the game. Talking about Power Hour brought back memories so it had to be done.  ugg...

   Sunday was suppose be relaxing but was the total opposite. I vaguely remember telling some of the guys that I was going to make meatballs when we were at the bar. I don't know why I had it in my mind that it would have been a good idea. So 50 meatball, 20 chicken cutlets, 2 pounds of pasta, homemade sauce and salad later, I made dinner for about 10 guys that came over for their haircuts. What a day and night! I also made dessert before I had even started making dinner which was a regret because I really didn't know dinner was going to be that extensive. Dessert was really cute tho. I made s'mores bits and brownie peanut butter bits.  You can probably guess where I learned those recipes. (pinterest) So after everyone's stomach was full and haircuts were fresh and I needed to hit the sheets right away.
   This morning I woke up at 5:50am to be ready to pick up one of the lady's and head to a class about our move that is coming up. This is now the second time that I have been to this office and I still do not feel like I have answers. Later in the day I pick another friend up and we had lunch and ran around a few more offices to see if we could somehow get better direction on all the necessary steps that need to be taken. After that, I do feel now that I have a few questions answered but not everything is set yet. Hopefully Mike will have a few hours coming up that he could go and figure the rest out. I'm not sure if I can do another day like today again.
    I just hope tomorrow is not so crazy. I need a hair cut desperately so maybe I'll research a place that I will feel somewhat comfortable in going. I just know its going to be absolutely so awkward having someone cut my hair that I don't work with. I just wish I would have been able to go into my old salon to say hi to everyone and pay for a haircut that I am actually sure about. This day was going to have to come sooner then later so Ill just have to get over it. I also am going to swing by a strangers house to meet a dog that I am going to be taking out weekly. A little extra shopping money sounds like a good idea.

Random...

   Yesterday I made chicken enchiladas for dinner. I found the recipe off of a fellow bloggers blog. Joyful Mammas Kitchen that I saw on Pintrest. ( Boy do I love that site!) I altered it just a touch because I usually do with everything I make. But of course, the picture that made me want to try to make these looked way better then the way mine turned out. Mikes cutting weight for his weigh in on Friday so we had a lot left over.They were really good tho. I'm making a chicken salad for tonight so I know that will turn out good too.                                       
   We can tell that Sheba is doing a little better.  I think the food/pills is really starting to help.  She is starting to eat and drink on her own a little. I still have to a initiate the meal time but she now eats from the bowl. She also walks in circles over and over. I would think she would get dizzy but I guess that's not the case. After a while, I just pick her up and make her rest. She also gets lost when she gets to a corner and cant seem to get out.  Its like she only knows forward, not backup. We just keep all the doors closed so she wont be stuck for to long without us seeing her.          

 Mama Sheba snoring. She is such a sweetie!

Good Bye Ohio

   Well vacation is over... We just arrived back from our 13 hour drive. It felt like it took a lot longer this time then going. The pups were antsy the last few hours which made it difficult to be comfortable. The visit was so nice tho so it was worth it. We got to see a lot of family. Of course you can never see everybody, but we tried. We just needed more days...
  My sister came in town from Wisconsin on Friday to spend the weekend too. It was nice to have everyone together one last time.
  New Years we went over to a friends house. They had a few people over that we hadn't seen in a long time.  It was nice to catch up. I made fruit jello shots that I was meaning to make for awhile. Of course I got the recipe from my favorite website. They turned out good but not as pretty as I was hoping. They were time consuming so I was praying that they would set in time when we had to leave or my parents would have 50 jello shots in the fridge. They were a hit when I got there, and everybody wanted to know how I made them. But of course there would be a few things I would do different next time around.

   While on our trip home, Sheba had another spell. She is not looking good after this one. I am bracing my self but it still is breaking my heart. We are to the point where she doesn't know whats happening anymore. The doctor thinks its doggie Alzheimer's / Seizure. I just cant even think of the next step of her condition. Being blind and deaf is really not helping. I just hope she will stay strong. I have never been through this before with a dog so I know I'm going to be a mess when the time comes. Till then, lots of hugs, kisses and tons of pictures.

   We did get to do a few of the things that we will miss about Cleveland when we are gone. We ate at Great Lakes Brewing Company one of the days. Drank a lot of Christmas Ale while waiting to be seated for our 2 hour wait. The rest of Cleveland had the same idea to eat there too. We specifically came down there to eat there so we just sat and waited. Well worth it tho! It snowed while we were home too which was nice. It probably going to be the last time we see it for the next 3 years, but after a day or too I wanted it to melt already. I'm pretty sure I wont be missing it to much. Also we went to the Browns/Steelers game. Good game but the outcome wasn't.  Rain, wind then snow, so we had the last game of the season weather which is what football is all about.
    Hopefully this New Year will be a good one. We have many changes that are coming that I am a little nervous about. I just have to learn take one thing at a time and just relax.